Brandon Moreno earned a comfortable unanimous decision victory over Amir Albazi tonight at UFC Fight Night 246.
Round One:
The flyweight main event is underway in Edmonton!
Jab for Moreno. Albazi responds with one of his own. Moreno lands his again. Body punch for the former champ. Inside leg kick for Albazi.
Moreno comes up sort with a few punches. Both pump out of the jab. Moreno threatens with a hook that just misses.
Inside leg kick from Albazi is checked. One-two for Albazi. Right hand for Albazi. Jab for Moreno. Now a body kick. He lands a right hand.
Albazi threatens with a front kick upstairs. Jab for Moreno. Leg kick for Albazi. Body punch for him. Left hand from Moreno.
Overhand right from Moreno and Albazi slipped soon after that, but seems ok. Uppercut connects for Moreno. Leg kick from Albazi. One-two and a low kick from Moreno. A final inside leg kick for Moreno to end the round.
Round Two:
Kick to the outside and inside of the calf fromm Moreno. Head kick attempt from Moreno might have got partially through as Albazi looked a bit uncomfortable for a moment.
Jab for Moreno. Now a right hand gets through. Another jab now. Body work from Moreno. Now Albazi works a takedown, but Moreno immediately gets back to his feet.
Kick for Moreno. He just ducks in time to avoid a big punch from Albazi. Straight right down the pipe from Moreno.
Jab for Albazi. He lands it again. Overhand from Moreno glances the target. left hook for Moreno and then just misses with an uppercut.
Jab for Moreno. Now a left hook that knocked Albazi back on his heels for a moment off-balance.
Jab for Moreno. Short flurry of punches for him. Another jab and now a hard left hook lands. Body kick for Moreno late in the round.
Round Three:
Moreno caught by a punch from Albazi. One-two’s from Moreno. Moreno charges forward looking for strikes, but Albazi slides away.
Moreno misses an overhand but follows up with an uppercut to the body. Body punch from Albazi. Albazi has a cut to his right cheek now.
Body punch from Moreno. Albazi with a good punch that got Moreno’s attention. Punch from Moreno and Albazi almost connected with a counter-knee there. Good punch from Moreno now.
Albazi blocks a head kick from Moreno. Albazi reaches for a single-leg but doesn’t commit to it.
Stepping leg kick from Moreno. Punch lands for Albazi. Moreno goes to the body. Glancing hook from Moreno off a brief clinch.
Inside leg kick for MMoreno and Albazi responds with one of his own. Moreno with a punch and Albazi points at his eye and wipes at it as if he’s been poked. The ref didn’t see anything wrong though so he has to fight on.
Single-leg attempt from Albazi, but Moreno punches his way back out of it. Body kick for Moreno. Both swing overhands that don’t connect but Moreno works to the body afterwards.
Round Four:
One-two for Moreno. Albazi fires back. Jab for Moreno. A couple of punches come off the guard from Albazi.
Head kick attempt from Moreno is blocked. Both swing hard but don’t connect. Jab for Albazi.
A couple of jabs for Moreno. Albazi works to the body as they exchange in close. Albazi with punches off the guard of Moreno.
Front kick to the body from Albazi. Moreno pressing forward but gets caught by a punch. Albazi working off his jab now. Leg kick for Moreno and then attempts one upstairs.
Jab for Moreno. Knee to the body from Albazi but Moreno counters with a punch. Moreno feels out with the jab and then brings in a straight.
Round Five:
Albazi’s corner tells him he needs a finish in the final five minutes. Let’s see if he can do it.
Jab for Moreno. Both land the jab. One-two for Moreno. Moreno misses with an overhand and connects with a hook.
Albazi dives into a takedown, but Moreno escapes. Moreno pressing forward and gets poked in the eye for his troubles. He needs a brief timeout to recover.
Moreno is soon good to go. Moreno works a head kick attempt off punches, but it’s blocked.
Albazi tries for a takedown, but Moreno tries to counter with his own takedown attempt, then lands a big left hook that rocks Albazi.
Albazi recovers quickly. Moreno lands another left hook. He lands it again, but Albazi is taking these ones better than the initial one, though his face is more bloodied than before late in this fight.
Overhand from Albazi, punch and one to the body from Moreno. Punches off the guard from Albazi. Jab for Moreno.
Moreno darts into a big elbow strike. Now a right hand gets through. Right hand for Albazi. Right and a left from Moreno. Jabs from him and then a head kick attempt. Albazi just comes up short with a knee upstairs. Moreno going for broke late in the fight, but can’t find a finish.
Decision:
No doubt about the winner here then, with Moreno being far more active throughout the fight, landing the more damaging blows along the way, and so he wins by unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45 x2).
